Dream
by The Golden Gael
Summary: It's all about the mystery of the pet shop. D weaves another tale of a second chance given, and abused. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!
1. Another Pet Sold

Pet Shop of Horrors: Dream

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"You promised me John, you swore you'd be with me always. Why did you leave?"

  
  


It was dusk. The sunset made the sky glow purple behind the buildings which surrounded her. She paused on the sidewalk and removed a small shred of paper, yellowed with age and creased from an ancient fold placed there by its original owner. She carefully pulled it open and glanced at the faded ink therein, a love letter sent to her some years ago. Many times she had read it, for it was written by her fiancé and future husband, John Simmons. A tear swelled in her eye as she read over the tender words he had written her the night they'd met. She raised a quivering hand to the page and caressed the passage that had meant so much to her. 

  
  


"It had felt like a dream, one perfect dream, where a fallen angel came and stole my heart." 

  
  


It still made her feel so good to read it, and for one brief moment, she felt John's hand on her shoulder, comforting her the way he always did. It wasn't his hand, was it? For days she thought it was, but it wasn't. 

John had always assured her that police officers were safer in this age then most people thought, and that she need not worry about him. The day he died in fact, he had said the same words. Of all the reasons to die, being shot while giving someone a parking ticket was the biggest insult to his memory that she could think. He hadn't died right away, he lasted about thirty hours in intensive care before giving in. She couldn't even stand when she heard the news, that her husband of four years had been taken from her. Among the possessions the doctors at the hospital had removed from the uniform he was wearing, was the letter. It was confusing to say the least to know that John was carrying a love letter around which he wrote over five years ago. It was the reason she had come to Chinatown on this day, for on the back of the letter where directions to a small pet shop and written underneath was today's date. She didn't know why she was going to the shop, she only knew that had John lived, he was probably expected to be there on this day, and the least she could do was tell the store clerk that he wouldn't be coming.

She reached the last street that had been written and was presented with a building that looked very odd indeed. It's architecture appeared to be Chinese, and despite the fact she was in Chinatown, it looked very much out of place wedged between two very plain looking business type establishments. The young girl skipping up the stairs of the building, clutching a small puppy to her chest made it clear that this was the pet store John was intending on visiting. Someone was following her, and much like the building itself, it appeared that the person belonged in ancient China and not Los Angeles.

"Now make sure you feed it every day." The man said as the girl walked away. It was a surprising thing to hear such a masculine voice, with just a hint of Chinese, coming out of such a feminine and beautiful creature. He was thin, the kimono which he wore hugged him tightly. His facial features were very effeminate, his hair was jet black cut, and was cut shoulder length and resembled a very fine silk. He smiled slightly as he watched the child round a corner and disappear from sight. She walked slowly towards the man until her presence caught his eye. "Hello, may I help you?" He said, in a calm, almost hypnotic voice. "Yes, I think my husband was expected here today." "Indeed he was Mrs. Simmons, and I am very sorry for your loss." "But how did you know he was dead?" "I have many customers Mrs. Simmons, and if you don't mind my saying so, your husbands death was on the minds of many of them. It is after all a great tragedy to see such a young man killed in such a way." He raised his hand and gestured towards the front door of the shop. "I was about to sit down for a slice of chocolate cake and tea, would you care to join me?" "What business did my husband have here?" Mrs. Simmons asked, ignoring the question she had been asked. "Please, Samantha, I will explain everything, but please do come in." "How did he know my name?" She thought to herself as she slowly followed the slender man through large double doors and into the dimly lit shop.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I heard your name." "Not at all Mrs. Simmons, you may call me Count." "Count? Is that all?" "Well, if you prefer, you may address me as D." She assumed she would not get any more informal than that, so she abandoned the line of questions. D placed a plate containing a rather large helping of cake in front of her. "Forgive me if I have given you too much Mrs. Simmons, I myself have quite a sweet tooth, and often forget that some do not like to indulge as much as I." She looked down and added the milk and sugar to her tea. "You run this place all by yourself?" "No, I am watching the shop for my grandfather, he is away on business. Forgive my impetuousness Mrs. Simmons, but you wish to know what business your husband had here?" "Yes I would. I am trying to tie up all the loose ends he left behind." "He ordered a very rare animal, it arrived today. Would you like to see it?" D gestured to a door leading deeper into the store. "It is not on display here in the store, it is being stored in the back room." She rose and began to walk down the long and winding hall. "What kind of animal is it?" "It is a very rare breed of moth. So rare, it may even be one of a kind." "A moth?" She thought. "John was never interested in insects." D turned to face her. "He mentioned that he meant to give it away as a gift. To you, I must assume Mrs. Simmons." "Why would you assume that?" She knew he had several very good friends for whom he had bought gifts for in the past. "This is no mere moth, Mrs. Simmons, it has certain characteristics that could only make a gift to be given out of love. Here it is." He said, stopping in front of a wooden and intricately engraved door. 

The moth was indeed not average, if anything else, it's size set it apart from any normal moth. It's wingspan easily reached two feet across, it's body was at least one and a half feet long. It's main characteristic though, was a distinct and very well defined image of a heart emblazoned upon it's back. "It is said that this moth will let you see what your true love is thinking. If you are at all interested at what your husband was thinking of the day of his death, this animal may hold the answers you seek." D looked lovingly at the insect, it was the look of someone who truly cared for the animals of this planet. "Would you like to take it home, Mrs. Simmons?" She looked hard at the moth, which was clinging to the far wall of the room, besides twitching it's wings slightly, it had remained perfectly still. She knew she probably didn't have the means to care for such a creature, but in a strange way, she knew it would always remind her of John, of his love for her. "Yes. How much?" "For you, I will ask for no money, Mrs. Simmons. Only that you read and sign this contract." D produced a folded piece of paper from the pocket of his kimono. He slid the contract across the table and handed her a feather dipped in ink. "There are three ruled you must follow without exception Mrs. Simmons. Rule one, you must not let anyone see the animal with the exception of yourself, two, you must keep it in a room with only minimal light, for it is a nocturnal creature. Finally, and most importantly Mrs. Simmons, do not let it see, or touch fire." She nodded her head and quickly signed the contract. D held out a large bird cage and the moth quickly and quietly flew into it and folded it's wings around itself. D draped a black cloth over the cage and handed it to her. "Now Mrs. Simmons, I urge you to carefully follow the terms of the contract you just signed, and if is broken, this store cannot be held responsible for any of the consequences." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. A New Home

Chapter 2: A New Home  
  
  
  
She dropped her keys on the small table next to the door as she slowly walked into the front door of the house she had once shared with John. It had felt so big and lonely since he died.  
  
The main bedroom of the house had a large walk in closet that neither of them had a use for, she designated this to be the room for her new pet. She moved a coffee table into the middle of the room and placed the large cage in its centre. She removed the black sheet covering the cage and looked at the moth. It had not moved since it first entered the cage upon D's command. "Why would John get me this?" She wondered before opening the cage door and closing the rooms'.  
  
"Dammit!" Leon shouted from behind his desk at the LAPD. The young man was a detective in the homicide division; he was glaring at a headline in the morning newspaper. "Another unexplained death! I'll bet you next months pay that that crazy count person knows all about it too." For months Leon had suspected the pet shop of being a front for the selling of drugs, and the Count of withholding information regarding the mysterious deaths of several patrons of the store. Leon turned back to the newspaper and continued to read the article. "Man found dead in his apartment after being mutilated by a as of yet unidentified species of feline, found dead near the scene." Leon read the article aloud as he continued to fume. "So how did this guy manage to break his contract? I'm gonna go to that damn store and give D or whatever his name is what for!" "Oh Leon," the chief's secretary poked her head around the corner. "If you're going to see D, would you bring this for him?" She smiled and produced a basket of home baked cupcakes. "Do you do this for all murder suspects?" Leon said, a frustrated tone leaking into his voice. "Nope, just D. He always likes them so much." "Just give them here." Leon said, grabbing the basket from her grasp and leaving the office. "Like he'll ever catch D for anything." She said after Leon had left.  
  
  
  
Leon's sporty yellow car came screeching to a halt outside the small store and he came storming out of the drivers side door. "D!" Leon blared as he entered the doors of the store. "Get out here right now!" "Are those for me?" D said as he emerged from a shadowed corner and pointed a slender finger at the basket in Leon's hand. "Uh, yeah. But don't think this excuses you!" "Not at all detective." D said in his usual calming voice. "I trust someone st the station approves of my work?" "Yeah, my bosses secretary, but that's not important right now.  
  
Upon entering the store, D placed the basket on the coffee table in the center of the room and sat on the large red sofa beside it. "Please detective, do sit down." The count said, motioning to the large, comfortable looking chair opposite the couch. "I am assuming you wish to know about Mr. Smith's new kitten? A rare breed indeed." "Yeah, whatever. Where's the contract D?" The count produced a piece of paper from a pocket of his elaborately designed kimono and slid it along the table to Leon. He picked it up and started reading at a furious pace. "I am sorry for what happened to Mr. Smith detective, but as you can see, we did state plainly that he was not to get the kitten wet under any circumstances, and that should the contract be broken, the store could not be held responsible for any of the consequences." "Just like every other damn time one of your pets lashes out at its owner. The contract is all in order though." "Of course Leon, this store operates within the strictest confines of the law." "I'll get you one of these days D, and don't think I've given up nailing you on any number of illegal substance charges." "As I said, this store operates within the strictest confines of the law. You have nothing to 'get' me with detective. I have done nothing wrong." Leon arose from his seat and started walking purposely towards the door. "We'll see." He said without turning around. "Thank you for the cupcakes Detective." D shouted to Leon as the doors to the store closed behind the fuming detective. 


End file.
